Echinogorgia, Kolliker, 1865

Lam, Katherine & Morton, Brian, 2008, Soft corals, sea fans, gorgonians (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) and black and wire corals (Ceriantipatharia: Antipatharia) from submarine caves in Hong Kong with a checklist of local species and a description of a new species of Paraminabea, Journal of Natural History 42 (9 - 12), pp. 749-780 : 764

Echinogorgia sp. 2

( Figure 4C )

Description

Colony spread in one plane with short, side branches that ramify into a fanlike, reticulate structure. The colony is pink with red monomorphic polyps. Calyx sclerites are of the Echinogorgia type with several blade-like projections and tuberculate base processes. These sclerites are of 0.4 mm x 0.5 mm. Axis brown and flexible.

Distribution

Echinogogia is widely distributed in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific.

Remarks

Two specimens, with sizes of 120 mm × 55 mm and 190 mm × 150 mm, were collected from Steep Island and Conic Island Caves.

Figures

Figure 4. Living specimens of octocorals belonging to the Plexauridae and Ellisellidae. A, Echinogorgia sp. 1; B, Echinogorgia pseudosassapo; C, Echinogorgia sp. 2; D, Echinomuricea spinifera and E, Verrucella sp. Scale bar52 cm.